


Life of the Party

by jb_ladybug



Category: Voltron - Fandom
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Tale as Old as Time, its a party - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-20
Packaged: 2019-04-04 21:18:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14028939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jb_ladybug/pseuds/jb_ladybug
Summary: Keith and Lance attend a ball.





	1. The Party

**Author's Note:**

> Keith’s POV

If this was diplomacy, then Keith preferred war. 

Why Allura and Lotor felt the need to host a ball of all things would forever escape him. He looked at himself in the full length mirror in his room, good thing red looked alright on him, Allura had insisted that the paladins all wear the color of their lions, being the Voltron representation at the party and all. The “suit” fit him fairly well, the high neck of his shoulder cape fastening with a gold clasp and falling to his knees. 

He sighed. “I look ridiculous.”

“Not really.”

Keith spin around to face the door, completely taken aback. He hadn’t heard it open, nor noticed anyone was watching him. 

“I mean, you don’t look as good as I do, because, let’s face it, no one can.” Lance’s voice was low and flirty, but that was just Lance in general. He was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed against his chest. He made quite the show of looking Keith up and down, which only served to make his cheeks warm just under the skin. “But you look good.”

He turned back to the mirror before Lance could see him blush. Blue looked really good on him. 

“I guess we should go get this over with.”

“Oh come on grump, it’ll be great, all those lovely space ladies, dressed up in pretty dresses and fawning over the paladins of Voltron. Doesn’t get any better.” Lance’s attempt at cheering him up backfired, worsening his mood. 

“Yeah. Sure.” The scowl on his face leaking into his voice. 

“What? Are you not looking forward to the lovely space ladies?” He sounded genuinely confused. 

“I never have before.” Please let him get the hint. 

“Wha— wait... never?”

“Nope.” Keith could see the cogs turning in Lance’s head from his reflection in the mirror. 

“Wait...” Turning. 

“Are you...” Turning. 

“Do you...” Turning. 

“Like... girls?” Ding. 

Play it cool Keith, come on. “Did you think I did?” He asked faux befuddled, trying to pretend he found it completely unbelievable that Lance would think he was ever straight. 

Keith kept his eyes trained on Lance’s reflection in the mirror, watching every reaction that crossed his face. He did not expect to see him smiling at the floor and blushing, rubbing at the back of his neck. 

He was completely taken aback. Why was Lance blushing? Was he... Nope. Don’t even go there Keith. Don’t even start. 

Lance looked up sheepishly, and he raised his eyebrow in a cocky question, pretending he wasn’t confused as all hell. 

“I- I’ll uhh- We should- Let’s- I’ll see see you down there.” Lance stammered out before bolting out of the room. 

What the fuck?

Keith took one last look in the mirror then followed Lance down to the ballroom. It was amazing. Allura really outdid herself this time, although some of it was probably Lotor too. After all this was his stupid party. Coalition members mingled uneasily with Galra generals and their families as soft music decorated the air around them, diffusing some of the tension. The dance floor was empty but he assumed that would change soon, it was a ball after all. 

He made his way over to Pidge and was about to ask where Lance went when a soft clinking interrupted the music and Lotor raised his glass to make a speech from the high table. 

“Friends! Thank you all for coming out to join me tonight. It is a great honor to be surrounded by so many seeking peace and prosperity for all the universe. Please, eat, drink, make new friends and catch up with old ones! But first, as this is a ball, please join the Princess Allura of Altea and myself in this first dance of the evening!” Lotor offered his hand to Allura, which she accepted gracefully, and led her to the center of the dance floor as the music resumed. Steadily, more and more couples joined the dance. 

Songs began and ended. Guests joined the dance floor and retired from it. Partners switched, and somehow Allura was now dancing with Hunk, clumsily, and quite badly, but they were laughing the whole time anyway. And Keith’s eyes found Lance in the crowd. He looked more uncomfortable than Keith had ever seen him, turning down dance after dance offer from beautifully dressed women, both Coalition and Galra. It was concern after that fact more than anything that lead him to approach. 

“What happened to, how did you say it, ‘Dancing with lovely alien ladies’?” It was an attempt at a joke but it only seemed to make Lance feel worse. “Dude, what’s up?”

“Nothing.”

“You’ve turned down every offer you’ve gotten tonight, and you’ve gotten a lot. Three hours ago this stupid party was all you could talk about.”

“Have you been watching me or something?” He sounded mad. Why was he mad? What did he have to be mad about?

“Kinda.” There, that seemed to get through to him. At least, he looked shocked for a second and not angry so that was something. 

“Why?”

“What?”

“Why were you watching me?”

“Be-cause... you’re my friend. And I wanted to go talk to you, but after the way you ran away earlier I wasn’t sure you wanted to talk to me.” Keith stammered out. That wasn’t the only reason, but it was part of it. 

“I didn’t run away!”

“Really? What would you call it then?”

He could tell Lance wanted to answer, but couldn’t come up with anything. 

Oh shit. 

Keith figured it out. Had it really made him that mad?

“Look man, if you’re not cool with me... after... what I told you, then... whatever... it’s—“ Now it was Keith’s turn to be mad. 

“No! No. No no no no. That’s not it! It’s not that!” Lance looked mortified. 

“Then what is it?” He was still a little mad, even if he had been wrong. 

“Literally like the exact opposite of that!” Lance seemed to say it before he knew what he was saying. But when he did realize it his face fell even more. 

“What does that mean?” And know he was back to confused, what was he talking about? He didn’t know but he could see that Lance’s entire face and neck were red now. 

“I’ve got to go.” Lance said before rushing out on Keith for the second time that night.


	2. The Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lance’s POV

Lance laid on his bed dumbfounded, fancy clothes discarded for the comfort of his pajamas, and he sure needed to be comforted right now. 

What was that? This whole night had been one confusing mess. What was that rush when Keith said he wasn’t into girls? And why was he suddenly not in the mood to try his luck with the ladies at the ball? Seriously? That should have been his moment to shine. But instead??? He sulked in a corner??? ThE eNtIrE tImE??? What was happening? Then he ran out on Keith! Again! Twice! In ONE night! He wanted to melt into his bed. And why was he so embarrassed? Like, sure it was bad, but it wasn’t THAT bad. 

Except that it WAS!?

Lance shot up from his bed. He had to explain himself. How? What was he gonna say to Keith that would explain something he didn’t even get yet? Didn’t matter, he was going. 

He marched out into the hallway and found himself face to face with Shiro. 

“Hey Lance. You turn in early? I would have thought you’d be out there all night.” He seemed so nonchalant. Did he not know that Lance was having a cRISIS!? 

It wasn’t who, or what, he had been expecting but maybe he needed some Space Dad™️ advice right now. “Can I talk to you?”

“Yeah, of course.” Lance stepped aside, letting Shiro into his room, suddenly quite conscious of how messy it was. Whatever, this wasn’t about that. 

He waited for the door to close behind them, still not sure what he was gonna say, or what he even wanted to say, and honestly, it was starting to annoy him. 

“I like Keith.”

.  
.  
.

Oh. 

Was that it?

“Are you as bugged by that as you sound?” Shiro didn’t sound surprised, like at all. What was that about?

“You don’t sound surprised?”

“I’m not. But you didn’t answer my question, does it bother you that you like him?”

“What do you mean you’re not surprised? How are you not surprised? I’m surprised!”

“I know you are.”

.  
.  
.

“No, it doesn’t bother me. I just... didn’t... expect that.”

“I know.” His voice was softer now, sincere. 

“What do I do?”

“Well, I’m no expert in the area but I say you tell him.”

“How?”

“Same way you just told me.”

“What if he rejects me?” His voice was so small. Lance didn’t even know he liked this boy five minutes ago, shit he didn’t even know he liked boys five minutes ago. Yet here he was, completely heartbroken at the thought of Keith not wanting him back. 

“He won’t.”

“How do you know?” 

“Because you two have been flirting like no one was watching from the beginning. But let me tell you, we were watching. It was getting painful. We took bets.” Shiro was smiling now, joking, trying to make this whole thing seem like it wasn’t a big deal. 

And it wasn’t. Why should it be? He could like boys if he wanted to. That didn’t mean he had to stop liking girls. Hell, they were in space, all rules about this stuff kind went out the window didn’t they. He had hit on aliens, sure they were all girl aliens but- 

Wait. Were they all girl aliens? What were alien genders even like? Surely there had to be some variation, there were too many different races for there not to be. Had he been hitting in guys the whole time without knowing it? Was his brain just that much slower on the uptake than his body? And what about aliens that weren’t guys or girls? Did some races have more than two recognized genders? Had he hit on some of them too? What were they even called?

“Lance?” Shiro sounded concerned. Rightfully so as all these questions were starting to make him dizzy. And a little queasy. 

“I need to sit down.” He didn’t move. 

“You okay?”

“Yeah I just... have a lot to think about.” Wasn’t that the truth. “Thanks Shiro. This helped.” And it had, in some ways. 

“You still need to sit down?”

“Probably.”

“Ok. Take a seat kid.” He led Lance over to the bed and sat him down on the edge. “You gonna be ok?”

“Yeah. I just need to process.” 

“Let me know if you need to talk more.”

“Thanks.” 

He left. 

Wow. The more he thought about it the more it made sense. Ever since getting to space he had been going after all kinds of different people. He tried to get with a mermaid for crying out loud. If different species were fair game then boys were too. 

He stood up. Determined to actually go explain himself to Keith this time. 

He knocked when he got to Keith’s door. He had a plan. This was going to be fine. But then Keith opened the door, halfway through changing out of his formal clothes and into his own pajamas. His chest was bare and his hair was tousled and all coherent thought left Lance’s mind. Oh shit. 

“Hey.” He sounded wary. Like this might be the third awkward conversation with Lance that night and he didn’t know how it was going to go. 

“Hey.” He was having a really hard time looking at Keith’s face given the state of the rest of his body at the moment. “Can we talk?”

“Yeah.” He stepped aside, letting Lance into his perfectly, pristinely clean room. 

Once inside, Lance had no idea. He couldn’t recall a single detail of his plan, so he just stood there, waiting for something to come out of his mouth, even if it was incredibly awkward, as let’s face it, it probably would be. But there was nothing. Keith just looked at him looking at the floor. 

“Well while you figure out what you want to say, I’m gonna go finish changing.”

Yes, yes that was good. Give him a second to collect himself. Good. 

Except that he didn’t shut the bathroom door all the way after going in, and Lance could see about half his reflection as he changed. 

That bastard. He did that on purpose. 

He came out in pajama pants. Only. His chest was still bare, his hair still tousled. Holding the suit he was wearing before, folded nicely in his hands. He set the clothes down on top of the desk before leaning against its edge facing Lance, arms folded. He was on guard. And after the way Lance had been that night, he didn’t blame him. 

How do you tell your half alien best friend that you’re into him? Well they say actions speak louder than words and damn he looked good. So Lance slowly, and deliberately looked Keith up and down, making no attempt to hide the burning in his cheeks. He regained eye contact only to find Keith’s eyes squinted slightly, more on guard than he had been just seconds ago. 

Well that didn’t work. Time for another approach. 

“You know how... earlier... you told me you’re... into guys?” He was being very careful. He couldn’t screw this up. 

“I recall.” Keith wasn’t going to make this easy. 

“Well... I think... I am too.” Lance looked up at Keith, he didn’t know what he was expecting, but his friend let on very little. Just raising an eyebrow when he saw Lance was watching him. “I mean, I still like girls and everything but, I mean, I’ve been hitting on aliens, ALIENS, this entire time and I don’t know how gender works in space so probably some of them were guys, or maybe some of them were neither. Is there an alien race that just doesn’t have gender. That’d be cool. There probably is. How many known species are out there? There have to be some that aren’t male/female specific. In fact, most likely most of them aren’t. We all evolved on different planets, under different circumstances, there’s probably a hundred different—“ He looked back up at Keith and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the bemused look on his friend’s face, his eyebrows had all but disappeared into his hair with how high they were raised. “I’m rambling.”

“Just a little.” He sounded close to a laugh. Well that was good, he had a chance. 

“My point is, that never bothered me. I mean, I never really thought about it before tonight but you would think, in the moment, something wouldn’t feel right. But it never did. And maybe somehow, I have only gone after girls in the past, but still, they were ALIENS. If aliens aren’t off limits why should guys be?”

“They’re not.”

“Yes! See! I get that now.” This was going well. He could do this. “And even if they were then I’d be out of luck because there is... one guy... that I know, for a fact... that I do... like...” Why Lance, why did he have to lose confidence at the end there? This was the whole point of him being there. 

“There is?” Keith’s voice sounded strained. Could Shiro have been right? Was this Keith’s attempt not to sound like he cared, because if it was he was failing. 

He just had to do it. It was now or never. “Yeah. There is.” He looked up at Keith, and took one cautious step forward. 

Keith’s eyes were locked on the floor by his feet, Lance could see color rising in his neck and cheeks and took that as a good sign. Even if Keith wasn’t saying anything. 

One more step. 

Keith looked up, uncrossing his arms from his chest. 

One more step. 

There were only a few inches between them now. 

Lance leaned his forehead into Keith’s who met him halfway. They both watched silently as Lance placed his hand on Keith’s arm. Then as Keith wound his hand into the fabric of Lance’s shirt at the waist, pulling him gently closer. 

Lance took one final step, closing the small distance between them, as Keith tilted his jaw forward. 

Their lips came together like magnets, settling perfectly into each other. It was soft, Lance wanted to do this right. Slowly. He wanted it to be perfect. It was his first real kiss after all. 

And it was perfect. Lance pulled away ever so slightly to smile at the boy in front of him, who returned it beautifully. 

He leaned in again. Not for a kiss this time, but for a hug. He buried his face into Keith’s neck, that damn mullet ticking his nose, but he didn’t care. He wound his arms around Keith, pulling him as close as possible. He felt it as a pair of arms wrapped themselves around his back as well as Keith returned the hug. 

And tonight may have been one of the most emotionally draining of his life, but if it ended here, then it was worth it.


End file.
